Bob’s Discount Furniture Donates $45,000 to Help Make-A-Wish® Kids

Bob’s Discount Furniture announced a new alliance with Make-A-Wish to help children with life-threatening medical conditions. The sponsorship kicks off in April, and the company will donate $45,000 in gift cards to help grant wishes to children in all nine states in which Bob's Discount Furniture serves.

“We’re excited about this new relationship with Make-A-Wish and look forward to helping children all along the East Coast in 2012,” said Karen Donlin, regional vice-president at Bob's Discount Furniture. “We have Bonnie DiCristofaro, one of our talented interior designers, dedicated to this Make-A-Wish program. She will help make it a smooth, enjoyable process for the children and their families from start to finish.”

Bob’s Discount Furniture is also a sponsor of “An Evening of Wishes Gala,” a Make-A-Wish Connecticut fundraising event to be held on Saturday, April 21 at the Mohegan Sun Casino, and donated a living room set to the event’s silent auction.

“Make-A-Wish sponsors like Bob’s Discount Furniture are essential to fulfilling our wish-granting mission,” said David A. Williams, president and chief executive officer of Make-A-Wish America. “This new alliance will help create wish experiences that make life better for wish kids, families, and communities.”

Bob’s Discount Furniture made its first gift card donation to Make-A-Wish in 2010, when an 11-year-old boy named Angel had his wish come true. He wanted a bedroom makeover and visited Bob’s Discount Furniture in Manchester, Conn., where he picked out a dresser, mirror, bed, chest and a recliner. When the makeover was complete, Angel felt like he was living in a hotel suite and invited his friends over to celebrate in his new room.

“Bob’s is dedicated to supporting the communities where our stores are located, and we hope to bring some hope, strength and joy to Make-A-Wish children in 2012,” said Cathy Poulin, public relations director at Bob’s Discount Furniture.
Bob’s Discount Furniture has 43 stores in nine states (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, MD, VA) and each year Bob’s Outreach Programs support hundreds of schools and nonprofit organizations with sponsorships and charitable contributions. For more information on Bob’s Discount Furniture’s charitable programs, visit www.mybobs.com/charity.

About Bob's Discount Furniture: Bob’s Discount Furniture provides quality furniture at everyday low prices, and a unique and enjoyable shopping experience. All of Bob’s stores feature a complimentary café with gourmet coffee, ice cream, fresh baked cookies and candy. Since 1991, Bob’s has built strong customer loyalty by offering a vast selection of fashionable and affordable furniture that surpasses their “discount” expectations. With 43 stores located throughout New England, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Virginia, the company is committed to supporting communities where its stores are located through Bob’s Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation and Bob’s Outreach program. Bob’s and its staff support hundreds of nonprofit organizations with sponsorships and charitable contributions, and every year the company donates more than $100,000 to schools and more than $1.5 million to charities. To find out more about Bob’s and its charitable programs visit www.mybobs.com, and follow us on Twitter at @MyBobs_Charity and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mybobs.

About Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation: Bob’s Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation anchors the charitable work of the entire Bob’s organization. The foundation and Bob’s Outreach program, along with Bob Kaufman, Cathy Poulin and other employees, support hundreds of nonprofit organizations with sponsorships and contributions that annually exceed $1.5 million. For more than 15 years Bob’s has partnered with the American Red Cross in New England to promote blood drives. Other supported charities include Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, Easter Seals, The Jimmy Fund, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, National Conference for Community Justice, The Johan Santana Foundation, The Andrus Children Center, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and Special Olympics. For more information about the foundation and Bob’s Discount Furniture, visit www.mybobs.com/charity.

About Make-A-Wish: Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed say a wish come true can affect their health outcomes. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences strengthen the entire family. Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States, its territories and in 47 countries on five continents. With the help of generous donors and more than 30,000 volunteers worldwide, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the world every 23 minutes. It has granted more than 280,000 wishes since its inception in 1980. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.